INSARD: More Small-Farmers’ Voices in ARD

13/09/2013

Tanzanian small-holder farmers have demanded more of their voices to be heard and be accorded a bigger role in the setting and implementing the Agricultural Research agenda in Tanzania.

Their concerns surfaced during recent field visits done by ESAFF in several parts of the Country, as part of the INcluding Small Scale Farmers in Agricultural Research for Development (INSARD) project. Most farmers expressed their concerns of being sidelined in setting the research agenda in Agriculture and only being “used” by Researchers and Research Institutes during the implementation without proper involvement in setting the agenda.

Apart from Concerns, Farmers also shared their Success Stories in

Local Seed Production, Storage and Distribution systems

In a bid to address this gap between Small-Scale farmers and Agricultural Research Institutes (ARIs), ESAFF, through the ISARD Project, is conduct a “Brokerage” initiative that will end by bringing together Small Scale Farmers, Agricultural Research Institutes (ARIs) and other Stakeholders in ARD to deliberate on key issues of concern for both sides, identify areas of future sustainable collaboration and develop researchable questions that will eventually will be developed into full Research Proposals for funding by different partners.

So far, under the INSARD project, ESAFF – in partnership with project collaborators mentioned below – has managed to Conduct a Study on “Seeds and Agriculture Research Processes in Tanzania: The case of small scale farmers’ participation in setting research agenda” Develop a Policy Influencing Strategy on ARD and developing a roadmap for conducting a brokerage process for Smallholder Farmers and Agricultural Research Institutions (ARIs) in Tanzania – among others.

About INSARD

Including Smallholders in Agricultural Research for Development (INSARD) aims to facilitate a broad range of African and European Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), including non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and farmer organizations (FOs), to be actively involved in influencing the formulation and implementation of agricultural research systems in Africa.

As part of the policy component, INSARD consortium has developed a policy influencing strategy for the project and stakeholder engagement plans for policy-related activities undertaken by the INSARD partners in Senegal, Tanzania, Zambia and at European level. The strategy builds on work already undertaken by the INSARD project.

This is designed to be done through engaging in constructive policy dialogue with key African and European research organizations and donors involved in ARD.  The project resources do not allow for major policy initiatives, and the policy influencing work will be closely interwoven with INSARD’s work on research brokerage, using the findings from that work and building on the linkages established with stakeholders in selected pilot countries.

The INSARD project seeks to be a catalyst: it will focus on positive messages based around successful models of farmer-driven research agendas in seeking to persuade and influence others to continue to push for pro-smallholder changes in ARD policy and practice.

INSARD is Financially Supported by the European Commission

To learn more on INSARD Activities, Click here